Fundraising going well for annual fireworks show

Friday

Jun 21, 2019 at 12:01 AM

For more than 40 years, fireworks have lit up the sky over Lake Siskiyou during Mount Shasta’s fireworks show. This year, the show will be bigger than ever before, said organizer Tom Haistings, and it’s planned in tribute to friends who have passed away over the year.

For more than 40 years, fireworks have lit up the sky over Lake Siskiyou during Mount Shasta’s fireworks show. This year, the show will be bigger than ever before, said organizer Tom Haistings, and it’s planned in tribute to friends who have passed away over the year.

With more than $29,000 of fireworks, the Mount Shasta Community Fireworks show will be choreographed with music broadcast on the local FM radio station Z100, Haistings said, adding another element to a colorful tradition.

Haistings said fundraising has gone well this year, and new sponsors are donating all the time. For those who want to help, round up campaigns are going on through July 4 at Solano’s Do It Best and Ramshaw’s Ace Hardware.

People who gather to see the show, which is set to begin at 9:45 p.m. (just after dark) can do so from several different venues, and where you sit will determine what fireworks you see, Haistings said. Some will be shot high in the air, and will be easily visible from the Mt. Shasta Resort’s greens. The higher fireworks and the lower ones will be stunning from the Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort and on the lake itself.

On the day of July 4, North Shore Road is closed to the public for the safety of the fireworks technicians, said Haistings. The walking trail is open during the day and that is closed, too, around dusk.

There is a crew of 15 volunteers who work to put the show on each year, said Haistings, who has been involved for 18 years. For the past 15 years he’s been in charge of all the fundraising and for the past decade, he’s been in charge of the entire thing.

Safety is of utmost importance. Nearly 20 years ago, the organization developed the area, now known as Spini Point, into a premier launch site that allows a safe area for just this circumstance.

The other 364 days of the year, Spini Point is a great beach for families to enjoy.

Haistings pointed out that Mount Shasta’s Fourth of July festivities are the biggest draw the community has all year. Locals and out of towners alike enjoy the spectacle from many different points around the lake.

Title sponsors include Raymac Mechanical and Crystal Geyser. Businesses that have contributed $1,000 are considered corporate sponsors, including Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort, Pepsi Cola Mt. Shasta, Solano’s Do It Best, Mount Shasta Resort, Weed Grocery Outlet, Tri Counties Bank, Mechanics Bank, AGT CPAs and Advisors and Ramshaw’s Ace Hardware. In addition, the City of Mount Shasta is now an official corporate sponsor for the first time.